Theirs are contemporary voices with whom we should be familiar. They display
a wide range of brilliance and insight into the emotions and lives they reveal.

Yet, beyond those women we studied
in high school or college—dwelling within a list dominated by male writers—too
few readers are aware of female writers, contemporary or not, beyond Eudora
Welty, Harper Lee, the Brontes and Jane Austen.

Book clubs do their part, but does
the general public read modern women writers—aside from those who write
mysteries, romances and self-help books? There are doubts, and they're pinned
on gender disparity in the literary review and book promotion process. While
romance writers are acknowledged as being super self-promoters, writers in
non-specific genres, like literary fiction, memoir or women's fiction, are
having to learn those ropes. The industry has let them down, and so have the
critics.

For all that women comprise a huge
sector of the reading public, there's a significant gap between male and female
writers in the areas of recognition, criticism, and—in some magazines and
journals—publication, whether of fiction or nonfiction.

This reality contrasts shamefully
with the high proportion of female readership and book club membership. Women
may be great readers, but when it comes to how they're viewed in the literary
world, respect is lagging.

Argue what you will, the numbers
don't lie.

Vida, an organization for women in
literary fields, completed a three-year evaluation that revealed the disparity
in 2013: while publication rates are roughly equal, far fewer books written by
women are reviewed at literary publications, such as the New York Review of
Books and the New Yorker. They, and other publications purporting to serve the
reading world, use a notably smaller percentage of women reviewers as well. (Susan
Sontag and Dorothy Parker, whose reviews were sparkling, are gone, though
fiction author Joyce Carol Oates and historical writer Doris Kearns Goodwin are
still active reviewers.

According to the study, women are
not represented more than 25 percent (often less) at respected magazines like Harper's, the Paris
Review and the Times Literary Supplement. (Interestingly, the Boston Review
achieved near-equal ratio of female to male authors reviewed. Kudos.)

Vida's study is engendering
change. With the recent addition of more women to the editing staffs at major
publications, such as The Atlantic and the New York Times Book Review, we are
apt to see better representation. Others
are following suit; the National Book Critics Circle is making gender equity a
focus—for how long, we'll see.

Do a quick survey with male and
female friends. What percentage of books by women do you read? Ask male friends
or spouses. You may be surprised. Some people read male authors far more often.
This may only be because of awareness: although the awards process often
recognize female excellence, the promotion and reviewing barrier remains high.

The upshot of all this has been
the birth of a grassroots effort to promote publication of women authors, as
well as more reading of their work, both here and in Great Britain, where the
ratio is similar. Numerous groups are exploring the idea. At #Readwomen2014, a
Twitter exploration started in England by Joanna Walsh allows followers to
endorse books written by women and alerts them to literary festivals
celebrating female authors this year. Several American literary journals, such
as Glitter Train, have announced a focus on female contributions to literature
during 2014. Male editors are among those prioritizing a better look at women
writers. Libraries and book festivals are joining in the year's dedication by
including segments dedicated to reading more books by women. Blogger Michelle
Dean at Flavorwire even lists 50 books written by women for others to read.

By the way, for a straightforward,
amusing look at gender perception, consider Cordelia Fine's "Delusions of
Gender."

Area book
groups:

The
evening Classics Book Group will discuss Thomas Hardy's "Far from the
Madding Crowd" at 6:30 p.m., Thursday, May 22, in Gale Free Library's
program room. On June 26, a poetry share is planned.

Carrie
Grimshaw, director at the Merriam-Gilbert Public Library in West Brookfield,
says the book group there will discuss Dodie Smith's "I Capture the
Castle," at 4 p.m., May 29 and "One Day in the Life of Ivan
Denisovich" by Solzhenitsyn at 4 p.m., June 26.

Crawford
Library in Dudley's book group meets June 5 to discuss "Becoming Finola" by
Suzanne Strempek Shea.

For traveling book groups:

Mac
Griswold, author of"The
Manor: Three Centuries at a Slave Plantation on Long Island," will be
guest author at the Harriet Beecher Stowe Center, 77 Forest St.,
Hartford, Conn. The free event begins at
7 p.m., June 25. Sylvester Manor has been in the same family for 11
generations, and "The Manor" is its story, steeped in both family
history and the slavery era. Griswold is a historian and author who writes for
several publications, including The New York Times, The Wall St. Journal and
"Travel & Leisure." Register at 860-522-9258, ext. 317.